Seaside council rejects money appeal for business directory

Seaside >> The Seaside City Council wasn't swayed by a former mayor's pitch for $26,000 in federal grant money.

The council, on a 5-0 vote Thursday, rejected an appeal by ex-Mayor Felix Bachofner, who wanted the community development block grant money to help develop a comprehensive, online directory of every business operating in Seaside.

Bachofner said such a directory would enable big and small businesses to get the word out about themselves and let Seaside residents know what goods and services were available locally.

But city staff members, backed up by an opinion from a regional official with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said Bachofner's proposal didn't meet the rules for getting money through the long-standing grant program.

"Our policy said it was ineligible, and even when we went to HUD ... it was ineligible," Councilman Alvin Edwards said Friday.

He said Bachofner tried to selectively cite "pieces of the regulations" to support his request.

Edwards said $26,000 was "a little much ... We don't have that kind of money for that stuff anymore."

Bachofner, who said he spent about $8,000 himself to develop the proposal, said he would look toward other communities for interest.

He said the city's analysis was a "selective interpretation" of HUD rules, and had the city wanted to go ahead with the proposal, it would have found a way.

"If economic development is a key government goal, then why not do everything you can to increase commerce in the community?" he said.